Iran - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Iran cover image

Iran

August 12, 2026

Tehran 12:54 am

29°C

The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Esmail Qaani, speaks during a commemoration ceremony marking the anniversary of the 2020 killing of Guards general Qasem Soleimani (on screen) in the capital Tehran on Jan. 3, 2024.

Analysis

What Qaani's Baghdad visit reveals about Iran's post-war dilemma

The Quds Force commander's Baghdad visit is occurring as Iran faced difficult choices in Iraq where the government is moving to bring powerful armed groups under state control after the recent war.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Qaani

IRGC chief Qaani reportedly in Iraq ahead of militia deadline

Esmail Qaani, who heads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, has been heavily involved in Iran’s relations with Iraqi militias.

image of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran’s Khamenei appoints six military commanders: What to know

The appointments, which replace figures killed in the war, follow Khamenei naming a new leader of the Islamic Republic’s top security body.

Latest News

Explainer

Who is Iran’s Mohsen Rezaei, hard-line IRGC veteran appointed to top security post?

Mohsen Rezai

Analysis

How Hormuz crisis is boosting IRGC and Iran’s security establishment

This aerial photograph shows boats anchored off Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz on June 27, 2026.

Jamshid Jamshidi

By Jamshid Jamshidi

Analysis

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact puts Iran's regional strategy to test

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif in Mecca after signing the defense pact, Aug. 7, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Benjamin Houghton

In Durham, reporting on China in the Middle East

Rahim Rahimov

In Baku, reporting on Middle East-Caucasus ties

Mehrnaz Samimi

In Washington, DC, reporting on Iranian culture

Iran’s supreme leader: I'm not in favor of polygamy

Iran’s supreme leader is reported to not be in favor of polygamy, denying a fatwa attributed to him about the matter.

Are Iranians ready to 'Buy Iranian'?

As Iran rings in the new year, the government has launched a campaign to encourage the public to buy locally made goods, but whether the public has as much enthusiasm for local products is another question.

Iranian official declares Bolton appointment a 'shame'

Iranian officials expect a more hostile US foreign policy with John Bolton's selection as the new national security adviser.

A general view shows the Azadi Cinema in Tehran on May 19, 2016.
As Iranian films and actors compete this weekend at Cannes film festival attention is turning toward the country's thriving independent cinema sector which is succeeding despite tough regulations. / AFP / ATTA KENARE / TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY ALI NOORANI (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

How conservatives are elbowing out Reformists in Iranian cinema

Even though most prominent Iranian producers and directors have Reformist leanings, it is conservatives who are the most proactive in this arena.

Russians fear Bolton may doom Iran deal, stoke arms race

John Bolton's upcoming role as national security adviser is controversial not only in the United States; it's raising eyebrows, and concerns, around much of the rest of the world.

Iran's supreme leader criticized for saying there is ‘free speech’ in his country

Iranians have criticized Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for claiming that there is free speech in Iran.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (L) hands out documents to Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani after presenting his budget for 2017-2018 on December 4, 2016, in Tehran. / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Iranian Reformists anxious as Rouhani takes turn to the right

Iranian Reformists worry that the Rouhani administration will officially form a coalition with Ali Larijani, the moderate conservative parliament speaker.

U.S. President Donald Trump walks to Marine One to board to depart for travel to New Hampshire from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1FFE98D400

US negotiator: 'We will see' if Trump can be sold on Iran deal fix

Washington's chief representative to US-European talks on the Iran nuclear deal said that while progress is being made in trans-Atlantic discussions, it's unclear if an agreement will be reached.

U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Mike Pompeo, ?Vice President Mike Pence? and Energy Secretary†Rick Perry, hosts Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a working lunch at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC12317C6820

Pompeo appointment cements notion in Tehran that US will exit Iran deal

In Tehran, the reaction to the appointment of Pompeo as secretary of state is an increasing sense that Trump is bent on withdrawing from the nuclear deal.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.
A worker assembles a vehicle at a production line of carmaker Iran Khodro, west of Tehran June 20, 2011. Iran Khodro, Iran's biggest car maker which runs what it says is the largest car factory in the Middle East, sees sales rising at home and abroad, despite economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS) - GM1E76K1

Iran’s supreme leader urges people to support national products

In his annual Nowruz speech, Ayatollah Khamenei called on Iranians to support domestic industry by buying locally made products.

A Houthi militant holds a blood-stained garment at the site of a Saudi-led air strike, north of Yemen's capital Sanaa, March 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi - RC1D17254740

Iran looms large as Congress casts Yemen war vote

The Senate voted on US support for the Saudi-led war against the Houthis for the first time since the war began three years ago.

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1B9C971E60

Iran, Saudi Arabia in war of words over allegations of aiding al-Qaeda

Iranian officials have once again strongly dismissed Saudi charges that Tehran is aiding al-Qaeda.